...And Down Will Come Cellphone...

Product: Defender Series™ for BlackBerry® Curve™
Manufacturer: Otterbox
Price: $49.95

Otterbox creates specialized cases for phones and other electronics. A small but growing company, the cases Otterbox has created are amazingly tough and molded for each phone model. Here I'll be reviewing the case for BlackBerry Curve. I recieved the case a few weeks ago and wanted to give a good amount of time in use before my review. Being in the IT field, you might not think that I would need such a sturdy case. It is amazing, however, how many times a person will drop a phone. Ok ok, it's amazing how many times I will drop a phone. Now normally it falls on soft carpet at home, but at work the carpet has no padding underneath.

Before my current phone, I had a Palm Treo. that poor thing went through heck. By the end it was taped together with all the screws missing and still had cracked bezel and scraped up shell.  If only I had known about the Otterbox in those days!  
I've dropped my phone quite a few times and my Otterbox has protected it. I have not seen any damage at all on my phone, as a matter of fact.  The Polycarbonate shell keeps the phone case safe while the Silicone skin absorbs the shock of a short drop.

The thermal formed clear membrane covered the buttons on front, the screen, and wraps around the back to keep it in place.  Once you snap the Polycarbonate shell on, your Blackberry is protected from small spills and dust.  The case isn't waterproof though - the ports are open to the elements and so is the trackball.  

There were no problems charging the phone while it was in the case, in fact, all the ports were easy to access with the phone in the case.  The protective membrane did not impede use of the buttons at all. With the membrane on, the buttons stay clean and it is easy to clean if something gets on the keyboard (you know, like jelly doughnut).

Even with all these layers of protection, the case is not extremely bulky. It comes with a belt clip that holds the phone well but doesn't make it difficult to grab when a call comes in.  The belt clip is the same Polycarbonate as the inner shell and looks to be very durable.  It rotates easily and yet holds it's place well, not swinging wildly like some cheaper belt clips do.

Now you might be thinking that $50 is quite a lot of cash for a phone case. While this is true, it is also one of those times you get what you pay for. Why would you want to keep your $400 phone in a cheap piece of plastic that isn't going to protect it from a fall or even from a little bit of water splashing on it? What I've found with cheaper cases is that they will get broken quickly, if I have to buy 2 cases in a year for $30, that is more expensive then 1 case for $50 - it's just simple math here. Not only that, but Otterbox offers 1 year warranty on all thier cases, meaning if the silicon shel rips or the belt clip snaps (I have never had this happen on an Otterbox case, by the way) - they will replace the damaged part at no charge.

If you want to protect your phone, Otterbox is the way to go. There really is no other brand that offers the protection and the style all in one product.  My family has purchased 2 Otterbox cases (for iPhones) and will undoubtedly purchase an Otterbox case for any piece of electronics we get that has a case available.

Review

Three layers of protection for your phone. The clear cover for screen and buttons, the hard shell, and the shock-absorbing silicon. It also looks nice and doesn't bulk up the phone too much.

The Bad:

The silicon skin is a magnet for dust and lint if you keep the phone in your pocket. If you don't use the belt clip and put it in say a sweatpants pocket, it can be tough to remove. However, that also means it wont slide out of your pocket or off the arm of your chair easily.

The Ugly:

If you want uncompromising protection for you phone, this is the case. You have access to all of the controls and ports with the case in place. It offers drop protection, dust protection, and some water protection.

Final Vote: 9/10